Although thousands of new neurons are generated during adult life, only a few survive, and the dying neurons are removed by phagocytosis. Ravichadran and colleagues find that in mice a specific class of neuronal progenitor cells expressing doublecortin is responsible for a significant proportion of the phagocytic activity within the neurogenic zones, through activation of the ELMO1–Rac pathway. Disruption of this process impairs neurogenesis.
- Zhenjie Lu
- Michael R. Elliott
- Jonathan Kipnis
